Visit the World’s Only Corn Palace In South Dakota
The World’s Only Corn Palace is one of the quirkiest attractions in America! This a-maize-ing building is a popular tourist attraction that brings over 500,000 visitors annually to Mitchell in South Dakota.
From 1887 to 1930, at least 34 corn palaces were built across the Midwest but only the Mitchell Corn Palace is still left standing today. The one-of-a-kind attraction has been luring curious visitors to Mitchell for over 100 years. It is a bucket list worthy destination in South Dakota that is absolutely worth detouring to see!
If you’re on a South Dakota road trip, it will be hard for you to miss the billboards along Interstate-90 full of corny puns. Be sure to take the advice from these billboards and take the exit for Mitchell. After all, it’s not every day you get the opportunity to visit the World’s Only Corn Palace.
Of course the Corn Palace isn’t actually built from corn. However, the building is decorated with murals made up of thirteen different shades of corn which believe me, is still quite impressive. So be sure to take the detour to Mitchell and tick visiting this piece of Americana off your USA bucket list.
Why was the Corn Palace built?
In 1892, Mitchell had less than 3,000 residents. The small town still had dirt roads, wooden sidewalks and gas lamps. At that time, the Corn Belt Real Estate Association wanted to encourage further settlement in the region so they needed a gimmick, something that would grab headlines and put Mitchell at the forefront of people’s minds.
The leaders of Mitchell came up with the brilliant idea of building a corn palace! But it wasn’t an original idea. You see, during the late 19th century a number of cities on the Great Plains had constructed “crop palaces” to promote themselves such as the Corn Palace of Sioux City in Iowa and the Corn Palace of Gregory in South Dakota.
Nearby Sioux City was thriving with a population of 30,000 people. To celebrate their prosperity, citizens conceived the idea of constructing a corn palace – something that had never been built anywhere else in the world. The Sioux City Daily Journal wrote in 1887 “St Paul and Montreal have their ice palaces, which melt at the first approach of spring, but Sioux City is going to build a palace of the product of the soil that is making it the great pork-packing center of the northwest”. Alas, due to some tragedies that occurred in Sioux City, their corn palace was torn down never to be re-built again.
The demise of Sioux City’s corn palace presented inspiration and opportunity for the town of Mitchell. Thus, the idea for building a Corn Palace in Mitchell was born!
What you should do on your visit to Corn Palace
The first thing you should do on your visit to the Corn Palace is have your photo taken with Cornelius, the corn cob located across the road from the palace.
A selfie with this six-foot tall ear of corn will be a great addition to your American road trip photo album.
Next, inspect the Corn Palace building’s intricate exterior. Those with a keen architectural eye will recognize the Corn Palace has been built in a Moorish-Revival style.
The murals and designs covering the facade of the building is made from corn and other grains, as well as natural grasses. Each ear of corn is cut in half lengthwise and nailed into place. Amazingly, new designs and murals are created every year!
Once you’re done appreciating the World’s Only Corn Palace from the outside, it’s time to take a peek inside. The good news is admission is free!
On the lower floor you’ll find information and photos that describe the history of Mitchell, nearby towns, and of course on the construction of the palace itself.
The second floor offers an art gallery that is home to fine rural art. Also on this level you can visit the arena where local basketball games, rodeos, and musical events are held. This arena once hosted sculptor Gutzon Borglum who in 1925 revealed his plans for Mount Rushmore’s now famous president attraction.
The Corn Palace Festival
The celebration that began as The Corn Palace Exposition is now the Corn Palace Festival, a five-day celebration thrown each August that transforms several blocks of Main Street into one big party!
If you happen to visit while the festival is in full swing, you’ll find carnival rides, games, food (including corn of course), and nightly concerts. In the past, Roy Rogers, Willie Nelson, Pat Benatar and “Weird Al” Yankovic have performed at previous concerts.
Where Is The Corn Palace?
You can find Corn Palace at 604 Main Street, Mitchell in South Dakota. Take exit 332 or 330 from Interstate-90.
Pin For Later!
